Woah! The big Ryan Day debate is far from getting over. No doubt in the fact that the social media spree of attacks and counterattacks kept college football fans on the edge. After all, it was Team Day: Kirk Herbstreit vs. Team Anti-Day: Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith. Well, we know how far things went between them. Yet Herbstreit refused to push it under the carpet.

Do you remember he calls the Ohio State Buckeyes fans by a name? Yes, he tagged them as “lunatic fringe.” Now he calls them that for a reason. And guess what? It has a lot to do with Urban Meyer’s shadow lingering on Columbus.   

Kirk Herbstreit calls out critical Buckeyes fans

Forget fans, Herbstreit got so protective about Day that he didn’t think twice before locking horns with Smith and Sharpe. So while commenting on the Buckeyes fandom, he didn’t mince his words. Rather for those Ohio State fans who demanded Day to get down from his HC role, he called them “lunatic fringe.”

But can we blame Herbstreit? After all, that man knows Ohio State in and out. He was the first player to board the Buckeyes program back in 1988. So, he has seen some of the crudest rivalries with Michigan. On the Todd McShay Show, he thus stated, “I lived it myself and when I was there. We never beat Michigan and John Cooper was criticized.”

Fans gave zero cares whether John Cooper led the Buckeyes with 11-1. Yes, the Michigan thorn still continues to bother the fans. After all, even though Day gifted three back-to-back wins against Texas, Oregon, and Tennessee, fans were still upset with the Wolverines’ loss. Sadly, Day landed in a much hotter seat as he stepped into Meyer’s shoes, who had been the undefeated Ohio State HC.

As Herbstreit stated, “Ryan day came in right after Urban Meyer went 7-0 and he’s had some difficulties.” That’s because Herbstreit believes it happened because of lofty expectations. Even though the Wolverines were the defending champions, they struggled offensively.

So maybe the fans imagined the Buckeyes would surely defeat Moore’s boys. Herbstreit then gave a clear picture of fans’ perceptions about Day: “Ohio State median fans were like this guy’s lost four in a row, Urban won seven in a row. You know regardless of how many games, he’s won he can’t win that game.”

But did Meyer lock the doors in front of Day?    

Urban Meyer’s sage advice for Ryan Day

Surprisingly, no. Meyer too knows how he has been an all-time fan favorite. Even though he left Columbus in 2018, fans are still not over his time with the Buckeyes. The legend has three national championships under his belt, two at Florida and one with his 2006 team that routed Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS title game. Even after losing its top two quarterbacks, Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett, to injuries, the Buckeyes won the first College Football Playoff.

The former Ohio State HC will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December 2025. After all, he is the third-winningest coach in all of College Football. However, even amidst all the hype, he ensured to drop a piece of advice for his successor Day. Meyer believes the Buckeyes will have their hands full against Marcus Freeman’s defense.  

On The Triple Option podcast, he raised an alarm. “I got two comments about Notre Dame. Number one, their defense does not make mistakes…Indiana’s defense, they always have the right fit, you don’t see people coming clean, really well-coached, disciplined team. I’m going to throw this at there, Jeremiyah Love the last two games has only had 17 carries for 64 yards, he’s dealing with some stuff.”

Ryan Day should have the pen paper ready to take down the notes. After all, it’s the wise words from the wise man, Urban Meyer.